Everything You Need to Know About Sedation Dentistry

Dental anxiety is the reason most people do not visit dentists. They sit at home hoping that their oral health will thrive despite not having a dentist intervene at any given point. People think that dentists are only useful when there is a dental emergency.

Contrary to that, a dentist can do a lot for your oral health, if given a chance. If you are battling dental anxiety, the best way to handle it is by reaching out to a dentist in Culver City, CA for help. With the help of Sedation Dentistry, you can sit through any kind of dental procedure.

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation Dentistry is a specialty of dentistry that deals with dental anxiety and phobias. It is the use of different types of sedatives to calm the bodies of patients, allowing them to sit still through dental treatments. It is used before most dental procedures to ensure that patients are at ease throughout. Given the meticulous process of most dental works, sedation is paramount.

What Are The Differences In Sedatives Used?

When you consider sedation dentistry near you, you will notice that there are different options for different purposes. Sedatives used in dentistry differ in form, types, and concentration. It is upon your dentist to determine the most suitable sedative for you, based on your dental needs, as well as level of anxiety. In understanding the differences in sedatives used, the first analysis is on the concentrations thereof. They differ as follows:

• Minimal Sedation – it is offered to patients who have anxiety issues and cannot sit still through procedures. The concentration of the sedative is minimal so much that the patient is fully awake and conscious throughout the process.
• Moderate Sedation – it features an increased level of Sedation as compared to minor Sedation. The patient may feel drowsy, but they are still awake and conscious of the dental works happening.
• Deep Sedation – this is a full-on kind of Sedation, mostly used for dental surgical procedures. The sedative keeps the patient asleep throughout the process. However, it is not a deep sleep. One can easily wake up with some minor shaking.
• General anesthesia – it is the level of sedation that puts patients into a very deep sleep. Besides, it is hard to wake someone up who is induced with deep sedation. They may even not remember what happened during their treatment. Dentists have a special way of neutralizing the effects of this very deep sedation to wake a patient from the deep sleep.

Other than the concentration levels, there are other differences to be noted in the types of sedatives used. This categorization is based on the forms of sedative parallel to their concentration. The different types are:

• Inhaled Sedation – it is offered as a nitrous oxide gas, combined with oxygen. The gas is inhaled through a face mask that patients wear over their noses. Inhaled sedation works by controlling the levels of nitrous gas that flows through the mask. The dental expert can control the level of sedation by regulating the gas you inhale. After the dental treatment, the levels of nitrous oxide are lowered and those of oxygen increased. The sedation is considered favorable because patients recover very quickly and can even drive themselves home afterward.
• Oral Sedation – it is offered as a pill that has to be swallowed orally. The dentist will give you the pill an hour before your procedure. The concentration of the sedative can be increased in dosage, to range from minor to moderate sedation. The patient will mostly be awake and conscious through the treatment. Even then, some patients can fall asleep, although it is not a deep sleep.
• Injection Sedation – it is mostly known as IV sedation. The sedative drug is injected directly into your veins. It works faster than all other types of sedatives because it gets directly into the bloodstream. It is a suitable sedative to use during dental emergencies where the dental works have to be started as soon as possible. The good news is that the dentist can also control the level of IV sedation.
• General Anesthesia – the medication used in this type of Sedation completely puts patients to sleep. The deep sleep can only be affected when the effects of the sedative wear off.